DB/LBs that Impressed from Next Northeast Camp

The defensive side of the ball did not disappoint Saturday at the Next Northeast camp. Both the linebackers and the defensive backs impressed in the positional groups as well as in testing, and both held their own when facing off against the prospects on the opposite side of the ball. Establishing themselves early on as defenders, these players will only get better with time and will deserve the recognition heading their way.   Defensive Backs    The top performing defensive back at the Next Northeast camp, Cameron People was electric from start to finish. There was very little you could critique in what Cameron showed on the field Saturday afternoon. With an athletic build, Cameron dominated as he went from one drill to the next, showing he has the versatility to thrive anywhere in the secondary.   Cameron displayed lethal quickness in the L-drill (4.85 sec.), showing that he can move fluidly with fast feet as he changes directions. During the live drills against the WRs, I was thoroughly impressed with how quickly he could get his hips around to open up and get out of his back peddle. Cameron made it very difficult for any of the QBs to find success against him on vertical routes. In the positional drills, Cameron showed off his hand, explosiveness, and tracking skills by climbing the ladder and high pointing the ball. With a broad jump like Cameron has (8'3" ft), he has the ability to pounce for the ball like few others in his age group can.    [player_tooltip player_id='477644' first='Myles' last='Figueroa']: (74) 2029 The Fessenden School   A big size DB, Myles Figueroa looks like one of the most high school ready defenders from the entire camp. Shadowing over most of the receivers with a 6 foot, 165lb frame, Myles dominated against those less developed and also showed that his size was not his only impressive attribute. Myles showed great range in his coverage capabilities, having the ability to move across the field with a lot of speed to break in the direction of the route runner. In the 1 on 1's, Myles was able to stayed glued tight to the receivers down the field and even high pointed a ball to take it away from the intended receiver. It is going to be hard to compete against players like Myles.   [player_tooltip player_id='1277961' first='Nymir' last='Hawkins']: 2030   [player_tooltip player_id='1277961' first='Nymir' last='Hawkins'] put up some of the most impressive test results out of the entire positional group. He finished the day with the second fastest 40 time (4.9 sec.), fastest in the shuttle (4.62 sec.) and the L-drill (7.35 sec.), and the top broad jump distance as well (8'6" ft.) All of these tests confirm that Nymir is one of the most explosive defensive backs in the region. Nymir's linear speed will always keep him in close proximity when a receiver takes it deep, and his quick change of direction capabilities prevents receivers from creating distance, as he can stay glued to their hip throughout the route tree.   [player_tooltip player_id='1590601' first='Jabari' last='Muhammad']: 2029   What initially impressed me about [player_tooltip player_id='1590601' first='Jabari' last='Muhammad'] was not only his size (5'9" and 145lb), but it was the other measurables that really stood out. Jabari registered the largest wingspan of all of the DBs with a measurement of 73 inches, and also came in with the biggest hands of the group as well (9.5"). Those are the measurements you are looking for in a DB that is capable of locking down a receiver and one that can consistently compete for the ball. Jabari is going to be a lock in the secondary and I foresee him forcing a lot of interceptions in his future.   Linebackers    Bam Peltzer was one of the clear favorites for top performing linebacker last weekend in New Jersey. A truly elite linebacker, Bam shined in every event and drill that took place at the Next Northeast camp. Bam is built differently than your average 8th grade backer. With great size already and an athletic build, Bam impressed with his on the field skills and how he handled live drill against the RBs. No runners were able to get by Bam in the 1 on 1 drills as he was able to break down, keep his feet moving, and explode out of a low position to square up with the runner. Bam is going to be one of the top linebackers in New Jersey when the time comes, just wait and see.    [player_tooltip player_id='1399653' first='Shay' last='Brennan']: 2029 Wall (88)   Another impressive specimen on the defensive side of the ball, [player_tooltip player_id='1399653' first='Shay' last='Brennan'] showed up and balled out Saturday afternoon. Measuring 5'11" and 194lbs, Shay has all of the attributes you look for in a run stuffing LB. Shay expressed power throughout the day in each and every drill he was put through, but really flourished in the shuttle with a 4.62 sec. run and 8'5" broad jump. That nimbleness from the linebacker position will allow Shay to shuffle and move laterally with speed, and turn upfield to clog the gap to meet the runner.   [player_tooltip player_id='1597970' first='Nicholas' last='Leone']: 2029 Parisi Academy (62)   One of the bigger linebackers in the group, [player_tooltip player_id='1597970' first='Nicholas' last='Leone'] measured in at 5'10" and 167lbs. An agile backer, Nicholas did exceptionally well mirroring the RBs, making sure to break down and not get outmaneuvered by their fancy footwork. Always keeping his feet moving so he can react quickly to any sudden movement out of the ball carrier, Nicholas is going to be covering sideline to sideline when he gets to the high school level.   [player_tooltip player_id='1429267' first='Mason' last='Corbato'] 2029 Union Hill Middle School (52)   Built like an old school middle linebacker, [player_tooltip player_id='1429267' first='Mason' last='Corbato'] has all of the characteristics necessary to be a stout presence in the middle of his defense. Mason showed that he has the ability to be a primetime run stopper, having the foot work and speed of movement to quickly react to the runner and burst through the gaps. With great play recognition and reactivity, Mason can chop down and close in on a running back quickly to falter any further forward progress.

The defensive side of the ball did not disappoint Saturday at the Next Northeast camp. Both the linebackers and the defensive backs impressed in the positional groups as well as in testing, and both held their own when facing off against the prospects on the opposite side of the ball. Establishing themselves early on as defenders, these players will only get better with time and will deserve the recognition heading their way.